NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 40
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014
nyunews.com
Chick-fil-A seeks to expand in city By DANIELA SORGENTE
SHAWN PAIK/WSN
Currently the only Chick-fil-A in New York City is at Weinstein, but this may change in the near future.
Cult classic ‘Heathers’ becomes musical
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
HEATHERS continued on PG. 4
CHICKEN continued on PG. 3
Video gamers explore diversity By CHRISTINA TUCKER
Different Games is an annual student- and volunteer-led conference put on by the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering’s Integrated Media Program and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Digital Media Program. Held at the NYU MAGNET Center on April 11 and 12, the conference brought attention to the diverse nature of the developer and consumer communities, as well as the possibilities for expanding the subject matter of games. “We believe that our gaming communities are filled with diverse participants, and supporting the visibility of such diversity enhances the experiences of all community members,” the press release said. Panels, talks, workshops and
even correspondents from Boston gaming convention PAX East discussed the ways in which topics such as mental health, sexuality, identity and intersectionality relate to gaming. There were presentations and game demos centered on expanding the way audiences think about and support the development of innovative video games. During Friday evening’s Artist Talks by the 2014 Different Games Fellows, game artists who received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, including fellow Anna Anthropy, spoke about their artistic processes and the ways they aim to challenge conventions with their own projects. “Everyone wants games to be different, but not everyone is willing to give people money for games to be different,” Anthropy said. One notable guest was Mattie
Brice, a game critic, game designer and activist, who spoke about social media activism and the depiction of that environment in games. She focused on the way Twitter and other social media outlets have shaped our ideas of advocacy and identity. “Twitter is its own culture,” Brice said. “Other people from social justice were creating who I was. People were creating my arguments, people were creating my identity, people were creating my entire personhood.” Brice said she plans to use Twine, a game-making tool that uses hyperlinks to enable play and create interactive, text-based games, to depict her own experience of being an advocate on Twitter and the way people can
GAMES continued on PG. 4
SZA releases debut album
Gender inequality in paychecks
Shorter haircuts for spring
“Glitter trap” artist SZA put out “Z,” her debut album, receiving mixed to negative reviews.
The failure of the Paycheck Fairness Act is especially bad for female graduates.
With the warmer weather, shorter hairstyles such as the pixie cut are fresh alternatives.
STORY on PG. 5
STORY on PG. 7
VIA WIKIPEDA.ORG
The mean girls of the ’80s are back — croquet mallets and all. “Heathers The Musical,” a brilliant adaptation of the 1988 cult film with the same name, opened March 31 at New World Stages. The musical follows the relatable story of high school misfit Veronica Sawyer who is taken under the wings of the beguiling and soulless popular girls of Westerberg High — the Heathers. The plot takes an unexpected, dark twist, and the teen angst of Sawyer’s senior year concludes with a few casualties. The electrifying spirit of this production emanates from lead actress Barrett Wilbert Weed,
who plays an incredibly real and compelling Sawyer. Weed’s character is lovable and quirky, and her voice is raw and powerful as she flawlessly executes the musical’s natural dialogue. Alongside Weed, a talented Ryan McCartan plays J.D., a dark yet likable psychopath, as well as Sawyer’s love interest. “Heathers” is intimate and personal, an atmosphere that not all musicals are capable of producing. New World Stages is modern and trendy, and the small theater feels friendly and informal. The simplistic and humble set allows the impeccable acting and vocals to speak for themselves.
COURTESY OF TOP DAWG ENTERTAINMENT
By CAROLINE CUNFER
Chick-fil-A plans to open several new stores throughout the country and in New York City this year, said Chick-fil-A media representative Kim Hardcastle. “Many of the approximately 100 restaurants we open this year will be in urban areas, [but] we have not yet solidified locations in New York City,” Hardcastle said. “Once we have a location identified, we look forward to confirming that we will be able to serve our customers in metro Manhattan.” For many years, the only Chickfil-A — an express venue — in New York City has been in Weinstein food court, attracting students, tourists and controversy. Chick-fil-A came under fire when company president Dan Cathy said he did not support gay marriage in a 2012 statement. Cathy made the statement after reports that he had
STORY on PG. 8